The texts vanished as quickly as they had appeared. Nivaan sat frozen, staring at the dark screen of his phone.
His chest felt heavy, as though some unseen weight pressed down on it. Those messages weren't ordinary. They carried the name Lumivahn, a name that now echoed inside his head.
"But who was Lumivahn? A god? A forgotten king? A ghost from somewhere else?" Nivaan muttered. No matter how much he thought, no clear answer came.
He rubbed his forehead and sighed. "Blah, blah… none of this makes sense."
Even as confusion filled his thoughts, his body felt different. His movements were sharper, his breathing steadier, his senses more alert. Something had changed, even if he couldn't explain it. But the heaviness in his soul remained, weighing him down like chains.
He tried to reach for whatever Lumivahn had left behind, hoping for even a hint of power.
Being the kind of boy who compared everything to the comics he read, he thought, If this is real, shouldn't it work like those heroes?
It was past midnight. The hostel was silent. Nivaan climbed to the rooftop, his heart racing with restless energy. The city lights stretched beneath him.
He raised his hand. "Shadows rise!" Nothing.
"Laser beam!" He thrust his palm forward. Silence.
"Transformation initiate!" Still nothing.
He kept going, fireballs, telekinesis, even random cultivation chants he remembered from novels online. Not even a spark.
By the tenth attempt, his patience broke. "Ughhh… this is useless!"
He collapsed onto the rooftop, staring at the empty sky. The stars gave him no answer. Eventually, sleep dragged him away.
9 February 2025 – 6:00 AM
Nivaan woke up stiff and tired. His body ached from sleeping on the cold rooftop. No miracles. No awakening. Just disappointment.
Life returned to its dull routine. College classes, bland food, meaningless conversations. His only escape was comics, worlds more exciting than his own.
Exams loomed, but he couldn't focus. His pen stayed dry. His closest friend had moved to another city, leaving him even more isolated. Family, friends, romance, everything felt distant.
One evening, he sat alone on the terrace. The city stretched under a fading sunset. He whispered to himself, "Some days, the world feels tired. I just keep drifting."
Weeks blurred into the same pattern.
Until everything changed.
It was a restless night. The city's streets glowed faintly with neon signs. Shop shutters were closing one by one.
Nivaan walked without purpose, when chaos broke out ahead. A man was running with a knife, a girl chasing after him, shouting.
Before thinking, Nivaan stepped into the man's path. "Stop!"
The thief lunged forward, blade in hand.
The knife stabbed into Nivaan's chest. His eyes widened, yet there was no pain, no blood. His body felt hollow, almost immune.
Without hesitation, his fist shot out and slammed into the thief, knocking him to the ground. The man's eyes filled with disbelief before he collapsed. Nivaan grabbed his collar and pulled him back down.
A rush of excitement coursed through Nivaan's body. He clenched his teeth as adrenaline spiked. What is this… this feeling?
The bystanders stared in shock. Some gasped. Others raised their phones to record.
But before the videos could spread, every phone burst into green flames. Screams erupted as people dropped their burning devices.
The sky above split open with a jagged tear. A strange light spilled down, wrapping around the thief's body. His blood was pulled upward, as if the heavens demanded it. Within seconds, he was nothing but an empty husk.
The crowd scattered in panic. Some cursed. Some prayed. Everyone ran.
Nivaan stood beneath the crack in the sky, frozen.
In the blink of an eye, he was back in his room. His own laughter escaped his throat, strange and uncontrollable.
But as the laughter faded, fear returned. His hands trembled. "Why am I laughing? Did I just… kill someone? What was that crack?"
That night, he tried again and again to summon the strange power. Clapping, poses, chants, even copying anime heroes. Nothing worked. By the time he gave up, dinner was already waiting.
At the table, he casually mentioned his transfer to Delhi University. His family celebrated, unaware of his turmoil. Within days, his bags were packed, and he left Jammu for Delhi.
Delhi was loud, busy, and overwhelming. Nivaan moved into a small PG near his college and shared a room with another student. He shaved his beard, trying to look different, but the monotony followed him.
Days passed. Then weeks.
Until September.
2 September 2025
The news spread fast. A man wielding a sword was stalking the streets at night. Five victims were already dead. The wounds on their bodies didn't look human.
Some called him a cursed killer. Others whispered "demon."
Reading the headlines, Nivaan's pulse quickened. For the first time in months, he felt something stir inside him.
That night, close to midnight, he stepped out. The streets were empty. Doors were shut. Lights were off. Only the moon lit the city.
His roommate saw him leave but said nothing.
The moon was full and bright, painting the city in silver. Nivaan walked slowly, his voice low. "The world sleeps, but I'm still awake."
A blade slashed toward him from the shadows, stopping just short of his neck.
A cold voice laughed. "Wah… what a nice line. But tell me, young man, don't you fear Great Iblis?"
Nivaan's lips curved slightly. "Oh, I'm just looking for a dog that's been making trouble."
The shadow stepped closer, chuckling. "Have you found it yet?"
"Yeah." Nivaan clenched his fist.
In a flash, his punch shot forward toward the sword.
The blade pierced his chest, leaving a gaping wound.